Social and Behavioral Sciences | Open Access Articles

Wright State University Magazine, 2026, Wright State Alumni Association And Wright State Foundation

Wright State University Magazine

Fifty-two page issue of the Wright State University Magazine. This magazine is published once a year and focuses on news related to Wright State alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university.

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You Are Your Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams: A Journey Beyond The Lens Blueprinting The Influence And Impact Of Media And Podcast Pedagogy On Black And Brown Creatives In Higher Education And Beyond, Diamond N. Morgan Dr.

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Explores the influence and impact of media and podcast pedagogy on Black and Brown creatives (BBC) in higher education. Grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT), the Black Creative Educational Experience (BCEEs) framework, and the conceptual lenses of sociological and public podcasting, this study examines how podcasting functions as a transformative pedagogical and sociocultural tool for storytelling, identity development, creative expression, and community building within collegiate environments. Utilizing a convergent parallel mixed methods design, the study integrates quantitative survey data from 65 participants with qualitative focus group discussions to provide a holistic understanding of participant experiences across personal, professional, academic, social, …

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The Final Boys' Club: Conceptualizing A Final Boy Of 1980s Horror, Ej Newton

Masters Theses

Carol J Clover’s (2015) Final Girl, the female slasher protagonist who survives to the end of the movie, has become a staple of horror scholarship, providing insight into the function of gender within the genre as well as our cultural beliefs surrounding femininity. Given the attention paid to horror’s leading ladies, however, another fascinating figure has gone unexplored: the Final Boy. This project analyzes nine horror films from the 1980s with young male protagonists in order to conceptualize and critique this previously unidentified trope. Utilizing McKerrow’s (1989) critical rhetoric as a guide, this research not only provides a thorough definition …

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It Takes A Village: Residents’ Perceptions Of Mount Prospect’S Place Branding, Jenna Strauss

Masters Theses

The Village of Mount Prospect has heard a fair share of negative critiques about the village’s branding; however, officials have not yet taken the initiative to rebrand. As stated by a village official, the village needs to understand what residents think about the branding before considering a rebrand. This knowledge offers valuable insight into what branding elements are liked/valued by residents, but also whether a rebrand would cause resistance or a mini crisis. Place branding literature highlights that residents determine the authenticity of a place brand (Braun et al., 2013), so Mount Prospect officials seek to make future branding decisions …

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Artificial Intelligence Adoption Among Future Journalism And Mass Communications Professionals: A Tam-Based Approach To Students’ Generative Ai Adoption Intent, Chinwendu P. Akalonu

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries, journalism and mass communications professions are slowly adapting to these technologies. This study employs the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and AI-TAM frameworks to examine predictors of AI adoption intent among college students preparing for careers in the field. Survey results reveal that perceived usefulness, trust in AI output quality, organizational requirement, ethical awareness, and certain sociodemographic factors such as race predict AI adoption intent. Additionally, the study highlights differences in adoption intent among students in different subfields of mass communication, including journalism, advertising, and public relations. It underscores the importance of expanding traditional TAM-based …

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Critical Feminist Editorial Praxis: My Tenure As The First Journal Editor Of Color Of Communication Monographs, Srivi Ramasubramanian

Media Studies - All Scholarship

In this essay I theorize about Critical Feminist Editorial Praxis, which envisions journal editing as a site for scholar-activism. I use the term activism because to counter the hegemonic whiteness and coloniality of Communication knowledge requires active efforts to go against the taken-for-granted processes and practices. Journal editing is a significant location for interventions because this is often where we learn what is considered cutting-edge scholarship within our discipline. This significance is especially clear when the journal in question is a flagship publication of a leading professional organization. As I end my tenure as the first editor of color of …

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The Role Of Media Literacy In Shaping Campus Student Leaders’ Perceptions Of Media Activism, Online Risks, And Social Support, Srivi Ramasubramanian, Minnie Mcmillian, Shumaila Bhatti, Shannon Burth, Julius Matthew Riles, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, Melody Wilson

Media Studies - All Scholarship

Campus activism by student leaders has historically played a significant role in social movements. Within contemporary contexts, media is an important site through which campus student leaders raise awareness, share relevant information, distribute online petitions, and shape public discourses on various social issues. Media literacy is an essential skill for student leaders to be effective in their activist initiatives and be able to cope with the inevitable pushback through trolling and cyberbullying that such activism would likely bring up. This survey (N = 855) with college student leaders across three universities explores how they rate themselves on media literacy skills, …

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“He Will Always Love Me”: Authentic Romance And Reciprocal Love In Otome Games, Elena Yifei Zhao, Nick Bowman

Media Studies - All Scholarship

This study investigates how players construct and articulate emotionally meaningful relationships in otome games. Drawing from 293 open-ended responses from Chinese players, a thematic analysis identified six recurring themes: authentic romance, companionship, shared experience, integration into daily life, game features, and personal growth. The most dominant theme, authentic romance, reveals that players often describe otome boyfriends as emotionally responsive partners who provide validation, support, and affection. Functional descriptions of gameplay mechanics were notably disconnected from other themes (primarily emotional engagement themes). A follow-up analysis of the most popular otome games in the same …

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Media Literacy Meets Language Education: Fictional Science (Fisci) Promotes Skills To Identify And Refute Fake News, Stephan Schicker, Jürgen Ehrenmüller, Melanie Hendler, Victoria Reinsperger, Natalia Kubai, Lucia Miškulin Saletović, Bettina Steinbauer, Sabine Schmölzer-Eibinger

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article presents the theoretical and conceptual foundations of the interdisciplinary didactic concept of Fictional Science (FiSci), which is positioned at the interface between media and language didactics. Based on reference concepts such as epistemic vigilance, inoculation, lateral reading, and media literacy in education, FiSci aims to promote secondary school students’ skills in dealing with fake news. While course 1 of FiSci (Activating the Fake News Radar) sensitises students to false information, course 2 (Verification of Information) teaches strategies for identifying false information that are also used by professional fact-checkers, and course 3 (Refutation) focuses on refuting false information.

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Digital Texts And Diversity-Sensitive Foreign Language Teaching, Anne-Marie Lachmund, Manuela Franke

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Digital reading differs significantly from reading on paper, posing several challenges, especially for students learning a second or third foreign language. The complexity of engaging with authentic digital sources is further intensified by the diversity within learner groups. First, the objectives for developing digital reading proficiency in a foreign language are explored, identifying the skills necessary for competent digital readers. Building on these objectives, the paper then addresses the diverse needs of learners, taking into account neurodiverse students in diversity-sensitive teaching environments. The focus lies on the field-specific dynamics of digital reading, particularly those impacting learners with ADHD, dyslexia, and …

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Media Literacy In Language (Teacher) Education. Introductory Remarks From The Guest-Editors, Ricardo Römhild, Julia Sgolik

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This editorial sketches the conceptual foundations for this special issue on media literacy in language (teacher) education. It contextualises this special issue’s focus on language (teacher) education with critical media literacy theory, highlighting the special role of language education in media literacy development both in terms of the subject’s methodology and goals. With its inherent focus on texts and media, language education pursues the goal of empowering learners to become active participants in global – oftentimes digital – discourses. Providing a frame for the contributions to this special issue, this introduction echoes calls for an already observable shift in language …

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Data Storytelling For Reputation Management: A Multiple Case Study Of Formula 1, Patagonia & Spotify, Michael O. P. Lowsley-Williams

Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates data storytelling as a reputation management strategy by examining how organizations leverage data narratives to enhance brand identity, build stakeholder trust, and reshape public perception. Through analysis and comparison of three qualitative case studies of Patagonia, Formula 1, and Spotify, this research explores how these companies construct and utilize data-driven narratives to address reputational challenges across distinct industry contexts. Drawing on elements of framing, situational crisis and stakeholder theories as well as the concepts of encoding and decoding, this study analyzes narrative structures, framing devices, and audience engagement tactics within reports, campaigns, and multimedia content from 2015-2025. …

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Human Moderators Behind The Ai: Unseen Costs And Hidden Consequences, Jacy Stricker

Student Scholar Symposium

This presentation is about AI-driven content moderation and the ethical and legal concerns surrounding the human moderators who oversee it. While AI helps filter content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it often fails to catch nuanced violations, exposing human moderators to harmful material with serious mental health consequences.

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The Trust Equation: Users, Companies, And Safety In The Online Dating World, Hayley Solomon

Student Theses and Dissertations

Digital dating platforms have become essential to modern-day relationship formation, yet concerns about user safety, harassment, deception, and accountability have intensified distrust, particularly among women. This study explores (1) how women’s personal experiences of danger shape their perceptions of dating apps’ trustworthiness, (2) how women explain the nature of trust and distrust in these digital environments, and (3) how communication professionals can design messages that promote safety and strengthen trust on dating platforms. Using a qualitative study design, four focus groups with three participants each were conducted with heterosexual cis-gender women aged 18–50 who had used Hinge, Tinder, or Bumble …

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Fake News Y Redes Sociales: Cómo El Algoritmo En Torno A La Migración Afecta La Salud Mental, Maria F. Alarcon

Capstones

Las redes sociales son la principal fuente de información para migrantes latinos en Estados Unidos, pero también son un terreno fértil para fake-news que afectan la salud mental y desinforman.

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Trust, Influence, And The Two-Step Flow Of Communication: How Msu Jmc Freshmen Navigate Information Networks In The Digital Age, Caroline Blakeman

Honors College Theses

This study examines how Murray State University students in the Journalism and Mass Communications department engage with information and interpersonal trust through the lens of the Two-Step Flow of Communication. Using a quantitative survey, participants reported how they receive and evaluate information across six domains: politics, healthcare, education, international conflict, religion, and campus news. The survey also explored participants’ own perceptions as “opinion leaders” within their social networks. Findings reveal that coworkers, family members, and religious associates were consistently rated as high-trust sources of information. In particular, trust in religious associates showed a notable pattern: participants who expressed higher levels …

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Media Disparity? Analyzing The Media Coverage Of Violent Vs. Non-Violent Crimes In Central Arkansas, Alicia Dorn

Theses and Dissertations

The media's disproportionate coverage of violent crimes compared to non-violent crimes may create a skewed public perception of crime rates and safety in Central Arkansas, potentially influencing policy decisions and community relations. This research examines whether news outlets in Central Arkansas cover violent crimes more frequently than non-violent crimes and compares this coverage to actual crime statistics from law enforcement agencies. The study aims to understand the potential impact of media representation on public perception of crime. The study employed a mixed-methods content analysis of three major Central Arkansas newspapers (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Pine Bluff Commercial, and Hot Springs Sentinel Record) …

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Tonight’S Top Story: Analyzing English And Spanish-Language National And Local Newscasts For Content Differences, Esteban N. Serrano

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Spanish-language media alongside its equivalent English-language counterpart, assumingly operate with reporting facts truthfully. However, no studies have compared the accuracy of equitable reporting between English and Spanish-language news, particularly television newscasts. Limited existing research claims that differences, such as the structure of news stories and their placement in a broadcast, may skew a narrative for those who prefer to absorb Spanish-language news in comparison to those who absorb English-language news. In this study, through use of mixed methods, U.S. market’s English and Spanish broadcast news-affiliated stations are examined to draw conclusions on whether or not there are differences in news …

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The Consequences Of Fear: How Media Literacy Teachers Adapt To Teaching In An Autocratic Regime, Sait Tuzel

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

While media literacy education experienced significant growth in Turkey during the early part of the decade, since the attempted coup on July 15, 2016, Turkish educators have struggled with uncertainty and social mistrust generated by the disappearance of independent journalism and the arrests of many thousands of educators, judges, and researchers. This longitudinal study of media literacy teachers in Turkey examines the professional challenges that media literacy teachers experienced between 2015 and 2020 as they adapted to increased fear and the risks associated with teaching about media. Unable to use media materials beyond the state-sanctioned textbook, teachers now evaluate the …

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Running From The Headlines: Evaluating Levels Of News Consumption Attitudes Across Generations, Andrew Francis

Honors Theses

The primary goal of this research is to answer the question "What behavioral trends exist across various generations and other demographics when it comes to how people consume and interact with news coverage?" With newspapers and other traditional mediums for news consumption being largely phased out of our increasingly digital society, it is important for communicators and journalists to have a comprehensive understanding of how to best reach members of their desired audience. I have studied the data collected and analyzed what trends are apparent in the survey's sample size, which can hopefully be applied to the larger population. To …

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Public Engagement In Small-Town Planning: A Case Study Of The Wellsville Trails And Active Transportation Plan, Tayli R. Hillyard

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis presents a qualitative case study of public engagement in the Wellsville Trails and Active Transportation Plan, developed in Wellsville, Utah—a small municipality with limited staff and resources. Drawing from planning literature on effective community participation, the study evaluates outreach strategies based on their reach, feasibility, and replicability. Outreach strategies in the plan’s development included surveys, stakeholder meetings, a public open house, digital tools, and informal conversations. While early outreach efforts, such as the interest survey and personal invitations, generated meaningful input, the process fell short in sustaining engagement, reaching underrepresented groups, and maintaining consistent communication. The analysis highlights …

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The Guardian The Month Of December 2025, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of December 2025. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

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Chasing The Dream And Buying The Promise In A Conceptual Framework For Consumer Decision-Making, Casey H. Prentice

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

The American dream is a concept that is echoed across our society, and while the data show Americans do not overwhelmingly believe in the dream, marketers continue to pair it and the issue of economic prosperity in their agendas. Through a novel framework that overlaps a deeply studied mass communication theory with a decision-making framework used in marketing, this paper demonstrates a new lens to understand how marketers identify strategies and tactics, build agendas, and make sales by touting the American dream. As separate entities, decision-making models and agenda setting theory are powerful, but together can create an environment that …

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You Can't Be Kind Of A Lesbian: Mass Media's Representation Of Bisexual Woman, Shannon Pappas

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In the present day, many societal beliefs and ideas are cultivated through mass media messaging. This study aims to examine mass media’s representation of bisexual women, specifically in pornography, and how those ideas lead to harmful stereotypes. Television show characters and song lyrics depicting bisexual women were examined using cultivation theory. Analysis found much of the representation involving force or coercion, indecisiveness, hypersexuality, and group sex. Pornography is an integral space for people to explore their sexualities. However, bisexual videos tend to only depict hypersexual or violent fantasies. With over 80,000 people logging onto PornHub each minute, negative stereotypes of …

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Digital Competence In Early Childhood Formal And Informal Education: Findings From A Systematized Review, Davide Cino, Claudio D’Antonio, Federica Ranzani, Silvia Demozzi, Cosimo Di Bari

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

This article reports on findings from a systematized literature review on digital competence in early childhood (age range, 0-6). Through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 31 empirical studies, the article provides: 1) a mapping of key information contained in the dataset based on relevant variables inductively and deductively identified (i.e., children’s age, type of educational context, type of digital skill, caregiving actors, description of relevant activities, screen time discourse, risks and opportunities discourse, reference to wellbeing); and 2) a narrative in depth account of digital competence in early childhood in relation to the type of educational context investigated, i.e., …

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The Current - Volume 36 Issue 5, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

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How Warm-Versus Competent-Toned Ai Apologies Affect Trust And Forgiveness Through Emotions And Perceived Sincerity, Joon Soo Lim, Erika Schneider

Media Studies - All Scholarship

As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) becomes more integrated into corporate communication, its role in crisis messaging raises critical questions about audience perception and trust. Drawing on theories of machine heuristics, this study explores how relational cues in AI-authored crisis apologies shape emotional and cognitive responses that ultimately influence trust and forgiveness. A 3 (authorship attribution: AI vs. human vs. control) x 2 (relational tone: warmth vs. competence) between-subjects factorial design with 464 participants was conducted to assess if and how incorporating a warm tone into AI-generated apologies can help overcome AI’s inherent limitations associated with machine heuristics. Results show that …

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Communication Monographs Fall 2025 Newsletter, Shannon Burth, Srividya Ramasubramanian

CODE^SHIFT Research

No abstract provided.

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The Guardian The Month Of November 2025, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of November 2025. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

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Media Framing Of Sexual And Gender-Based Violence And Femicide: An Analysis Of News Stories In Select Kenyan, Ugandan And Tanzanian Media, Nancy Achieng' Booker, Hesbon Hansen Owilla, George Nyabuga, Olivia Sayani, Liz Awino, Rose Kimani

Graduate School of Media and Communications

This study explored how femicide and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) are framed in the media across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda between January 2024 and April 2025. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combined quantitative content analysis with qualitative interviews to uncover both coverage patterns and the contextual factors shaping them. The codebook for content analysis was developed from existing literature and grounded in media framing theory, drawing on the works of Goffman, Entman, Iyengar, Tuchman, and Van Zoonen. The analysis focused on frame types (episodic and thematic), framing attributes, main actors, and story treatment, while interviews with journalists, editors, …

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Wright State University Magazine, 2026, Wright State Alumni Association And Wright State Foundation

Wright State University Magazine

You Are Your Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams: A Journey Beyond The Lens Blueprinting The Influence And Impact Of Media And Podcast Pedagogy On Black And Brown Creatives In Higher Education And Beyond, Diamond N. Morgan Dr.

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The Final Boys' Club: Conceptualizing A Final Boy Of 1980s Horror, Ej Newton

Masters Theses

It Takes A Village: Residents’ Perceptions Of Mount Prospect’S Place Branding, Jenna Strauss

Masters Theses

Artificial Intelligence Adoption Among Future Journalism And Mass Communications Professionals: A Tam-Based Approach To Students’ Generative Ai Adoption Intent, Chinwendu P. Akalonu

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Critical Feminist Editorial Praxis: My Tenure As The First Journal Editor Of Color Of Communication Monographs, Srivi Ramasubramanian

Media Studies - All Scholarship

The Role Of Media Literacy In Shaping Campus Student Leaders’ Perceptions Of Media Activism, Online Risks, And Social Support, Srivi Ramasubramanian, Minnie Mcmillian, Shumaila Bhatti, Shannon Burth, Julius Matthew Riles, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, Melody Wilson

Media Studies - All Scholarship

“He Will Always Love Me”: Authentic Romance And Reciprocal Love In Otome Games, Elena Yifei Zhao, Nick Bowman

Media Studies - All Scholarship

Media Literacy Meets Language Education: Fictional Science (Fisci) Promotes Skills To Identify And Refute Fake News, Stephan Schicker, Jürgen Ehrenmüller, Melanie Hendler, Victoria Reinsperger, Natalia Kubai, Lucia Miškulin Saletović, Bettina Steinbauer, Sabine Schmölzer-Eibinger

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Digital Texts And Diversity-Sensitive Foreign Language Teaching, Anne-Marie Lachmund, Manuela Franke

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media Literacy In Language (Teacher) Education. Introductory Remarks From The Guest-Editors, Ricardo Römhild, Julia Sgolik

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Data Storytelling For Reputation Management: A Multiple Case Study Of Formula 1, Patagonia & Spotify, Michael O. P. Lowsley-Williams

Student Theses and Dissertations

Human Moderators Behind The Ai: Unseen Costs And Hidden Consequences, Jacy Stricker

Student Scholar Symposium

The Trust Equation: Users, Companies, And Safety In The Online Dating World, Hayley Solomon

Student Theses and Dissertations

Fake News Y Redes Sociales: Cómo El Algoritmo En Torno A La Migración Afecta La Salud Mental, Maria F. Alarcon

Capstones

Trust, Influence, And The Two-Step Flow Of Communication: How Msu Jmc Freshmen Navigate Information Networks In The Digital Age, Caroline Blakeman

Honors College Theses

Media Disparity? Analyzing The Media Coverage Of Violent Vs. Non-Violent Crimes In Central Arkansas, Alicia Dorn

Theses and Dissertations

Tonight’S Top Story: Analyzing English And Spanish-Language National And Local Newscasts For Content Differences, Esteban N. Serrano

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

The Consequences Of Fear: How Media Literacy Teachers Adapt To Teaching In An Autocratic Regime, Sait Tuzel

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

Running From The Headlines: Evaluating Levels Of News Consumption Attitudes Across Generations, Andrew Francis

Honors Theses

Public Engagement In Small-Town Planning: A Case Study Of The Wellsville Trails And Active Transportation Plan, Tayli R. Hillyard

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The Guardian The Month Of December 2025, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

Chasing The Dream And Buying The Promise In A Conceptual Framework For Consumer Decision-Making, Casey H. Prentice

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

You Can't Be Kind Of A Lesbian: Mass Media's Representation Of Bisexual Woman, Shannon Pappas

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Digital Competence In Early Childhood Formal And Informal Education: Findings From A Systematized Review, Davide Cino, Claudio D’Antonio, Federica Ranzani, Silvia Demozzi, Cosimo Di Bari

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 5, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

How Warm-Versus Competent-Toned Ai Apologies Affect Trust And Forgiveness Through Emotions And Perceived Sincerity, Joon Soo Lim, Erika Schneider

Media Studies - All Scholarship

Communication Monographs Fall 2025 Newsletter, Shannon Burth, Srividya Ramasubramanian

CODE^SHIFT Research

The Guardian The Month Of November 2025, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

Media Framing Of Sexual And Gender-Based Violence And Femicide: An Analysis Of News Stories In Select Kenyan, Ugandan And Tanzanian Media, Nancy Achieng' Booker, Hesbon Hansen Owilla, George Nyabuga, Olivia Sayani, Liz Awino, Rose Kimani

Graduate School of Media and Communications